Fold-over collar and method of making the same



July 16, 1929. j, McKAY 1,720,848

FowovgR COLLAR AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 1923 3Sheets-Sheet l July 16; 1929. J. McKAY 1,720,848

FOLDOVER COLLAfi AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 1, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 2 J. M KAY July 16, 1929.

FOLDOVER COLLAR AND METHOD OE MAKING THE SAME Filed March 1, 1923 aSheets-Sheet 3 jwevii'or': i

Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JosEPHiMcKAY, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 HALL, HARTWELL & 00., INQ,OF

TROY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOLD-OVER COLLAR AND METHOD OF MAKING THE'SAME.

Application filed March 1, 1923.

This invention relates to collars of the fold-over type and to a methodof making such collars.

Principal objects of the invention are to produce a collar of the classreferred to characterized by superior accuracy of shape and size, byextreme simplicity of structure, and by eificiency in respect toretaining its shape in use. Collars of the kind improved may have theirprincipal parts made of laminae of cloth in a sufficient number oflayers to give the required thickness, or of a lesser number of layersor one layer of thick, heavy inherently stiff fabric, such as pique,vesting cloth, or other double or multiple ply woven fabric, canvas,duck, or other cloths of suitable teXture familiar to weavers and clothmerchants from which collars have heretofore been constructed fromblanks suitably finished at the edges to achieve the required shape.

It is ancient practice in making collars to cut out cloth blanks to therequired form, and then to turn over the edges uniformly with the aid ofthe blank-turning and pressing machines of common knowledge, whichoperate to turn over and press the folds. It is difficult andimpracticable to edge-turn in one operation on the customary machinesand by the customary operations a blank having a concavity ofedge-contour of small radius or a sharp reentrant angle. such as anintegral blank having top, band and endtabs. On the other hand, theoperations of turning and pressing the edge-fold on the familiar machinetools for performing such operations are simply and efficientlyperformed in one rapid operation when dealing with a blank of convex orstraight or slightly concave edge-contour.

Whether a collar is made of a shaped blank of fabric of suflicientthickness in one layer, as in the cloths mentioned above, or is made ofa shaped blank cut from overlaid separate layers of relatively thinnercloth (hereinafter indiiferently referred to as a blank) its capacity toremain in shape under laundering operations and to maintain its finishedlaundered appearance in use depends in large measure upon the relativelystiff edge-fold structures made by the overturned folds of the material.According to this invention edge folds are so constructed and placed inthe collar as there to provide Serial No. 622,185.

stiffening members tending to hold the col lar in shape when in use. Asubordinate object of the invention is, therefore, to so concatenate theedge structures of the collar in relation to the shapes of its parts asto constitute efiicient stiffening members taking the duty of supportingthe collar against rumpling, creasing and the other distortions anddisfigurements of wear. The collar about to be described, having thefeatures above alluded to, is by these features enabled to be made byoperations of extreme simplicity; and characteristic collars, whatevertheir more design as to shape of the band portion and the top portion,and particularly as to the shape of the overhanging ends or flaps (whichvary completely with the demand of the moment or the fashions of theday) may well be and preferably are made with the principal portion ofthe band and all of the top of one blank of uniform fabric of a shapeadapted when folded to constitute the principal parts of the desiredcompleted garment. The invention also provides for separately-formedconjoined end tabs adapted to constitute the attachment ends of theband, and further to aid in keeping the collar in shape.

The invention will now be described with the aid of illustration of onespecies exemplifying the genus of the invention, as shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan, parts being broken away, of a blank constituting theprincipal part of the collar. including a portion of the band and all ofthe top;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the edges of the blank shown in Fig. 1overcast;

Fig. 3 is a view of one end of the blank shown in Fig. 1 edge-turned andstitched, representing the condition of the entire blank;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a tab blank having an interlining blankassembled therewith:

Fig. 5 is a view of the assembled tab and inter-lining blank machineturned;

Fig. 6 is a view of the tab blank of Fig. a folded upon itself in themiddle and stitched, to constitute a tab;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing one of the tabs of Fig. 6positioned ready for attachment to the remainder of the collar;

Fig. 8 shows the attachment of the tab of the collar completed bysewing;

Fig. 9 is a plan partly broken away of a complete collar, the figureillustratingin respect to the position of the collar in use, theexterior face of the band and interior face of the top prior to foldingthe collar;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the collar positioned as in use;

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the interior of the collarlookingtoward the front closure;

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 1212 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a section of the left-hand end of the collar on line 13-13 ofFig. 11.

The useful structure of collars made according to this invention canbest be understood in connection with mention of the steps taken in themanufacture of a typical collar such as that shown in the drawings.Referring now to Fig. 1, a suitable blank 1 of the desired form is cutfrom an extent of uniform fabric. This fabric may be one of the thick.heavy fabrics, such as a canvas, pique, or double-cloth built up bystitching "together two 01' more layers of fabric in the loom. or it maybe a multiply or multi layer fabric made up by superposing one or morelayers of thinner cloth, or it may consist of laminae, an inner layer orlayers of which are of different texture from the outer layers, all asknown in the prior art and therefore not necessary to be specificallyillustrated except by the typical structure shown in Figs. 1, 12 and 13.

The blank 1 is of sufficient size and suitable shape to provide a topportion 2 and the band portion 3, and whatever the decorative shape ofthe edges of the top portion, for example the corners 4, 4, I prefer toprovide that the remaining corners 5, 5, shall be smooth convex curvesof relatively large radius. r

I now treat the blank 1 in such a way as to prevent it from raveling atthe edge, and to prevent its plies from separatingif it is a laminatedblank. While any of the known ways of treating Zblanks to protect theiredges will serve, I prefer the sewed overcast stitches 6, as shown inFig. 2, which can be rapidly carried around the edge of the roundedblank 1.

Referring now to Fig. 3,. the completed blank is now placed in asuitable edge-turn- 7 ing machine, or by hand edge-turned once.

It will be observed that the blank 1 at this stage, see Fig. 3, iswithout any portion which could be overlapped to constitute the closureat the front of the collar. This is in order to utilize the advantage ofthe blank which has been described, which by its mere shape providesmaterial for the greater part of the band and all of the top. and whichby the simple operations hereincL Ve d b has been provided with thefinished edges 9 for the bottom of the band 8 and for the ends of thetop portion, and with the edge structure 10, Fig. 3, which isexceedingly .rigid in the direction of; the plane of the right hand tab12 and the interior or left.

hand tab 13. provided with the usual button holes 14, 14, areseparately-formed structures preferably machine folded to accurate gaugeand then assembled with the remainder of the collar, for certainadvantages presently.adverted to.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the tab 12 may have its exterior portions, bothinner and outer, made from a single blank 16 preferably of cloth havingthe same surface texture as the blank 1, but which maybe, if desired,and which customarily is, a thinnercloth than the cloth for theblanks 1. The preferred form of theblank 16 for the tab 12 is that shownin Fig. 4, which it will be observed is a form symmetrical in respect toits centralvertieal line. According to thepreferred mode of manufacturean interlining blank 17 of any desired stiffness is cut out on .the samecontour as one-half of the blank 16, is laid upon the blank 16, and maybe attached to it by a dab of paste. The composite blank 16, 17, seeFig. 5, is now edge-turned all around; folded, with the inturns within.on the center line 18; and stitched at 19. V

The tab 13 differs fromthe tab 12 only in its size and shape, and ismade from simi-;

lar blanks by the same operations.

In order to complete the collar of Fig. 9, the blanks 12 and 13, seeFig. 7, are laid 1 that face ofthe blank ltoward which the margins havebeen infolded, and attached by sewing the lines of stitches 20 and 21,which are preferably continuous lines of stitches extending all aroundthe margins of the blank 1. The tab 12 (or 13) is now'further attachedto the band portion 3 of the blank 1 by sewing the lines of stitches 22.

The blank 13 is attached to the other end of the band portion 3 of theblank 1 by ex actly similar steps including sewing the lines of stitches22 outlining the overlapped margin of the tab. Button holes 14 in thetabs and the button hole 7 at the back of the collar may now' be formedby usual steps to complete the collar. The band of the collar is thuscomprised in greater part of one part 3 of the blank 1, extended andcontinued by the tabs 12 and 13.

Certain advantages of the described structure will now be apparent.Vithin limits the style of the collar and the measured size of thecollar (where it is not important to have the edges of the top meet infront) may be varied by applying to like blanks 1 different tabs 12 and13, these tabs differing only in height or in length. The collarnaturally folds over on a line determined by the tops of the tabs 12 and13, and this fold may be formed in laundering, or made by hand by thewearer. The reentrant angle a; at the juncture of tab and band is aperfect structure comprised of the crossing in different planes of thetop edge of the inturned, and therefore perfectly finished, tabstructure 12 or 13 and the onceturned and perfectly finished edges 8 atthe ends of the top portion 2 of the blank 1.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 13, the exceedingly stiff over-turned, curvededges 10, reinforced by the tabs 12 and 13, when the collar is fastenedabout the neck constitute virtual stiffening struts supporting the frontedges of the collar above the button holes let in a superior andeflicient manner. The whole region at the front of the collar issupported by the superior stiffness of the tabs 12 and 13. Beingseparate pieces the tabs 12 and 13 can be attached to the blank 1 withmeticulous accuracy in regard to the angle of the upper edge withrespect to the general contour of the blank. This is of greatimportance, since, as will be clear upon inspection of Figs. 10 and 11,the posi tion of the upper edge of tab 12 within the fold of the otherend of the collar, in con nection with the attached position of tab B,determines the alignment of the over-folded edges of the collar at thefront of the neck.

Collars made according to this invention may be worn wholly unstarched,lightly starched or heavily starched, and in each case with good effect.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A collar having an end-tab adapted to form a collar band projectionand formed from an integral symmetrically shaped edgeinturned blankfolded on its line of symmetry and sewed together around its edges.

2. A collar having an end-tab adapted to form a collar band projectionand formed from an integral symmetrically shaped edgeinturned blankfolded on its line of symmetry and an enclosed lining, the end-tab beingsewed together around its edges.

Signed by me at Troy, Rensselaer county,- New York, this 21st day ofFebruary, 1923.

JOSEPH MoKAY.

